ORCHARBISTS FINED.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 137, 4 March 1908, Page 2

ORCHARBISTS FINED.

■ DISREGARDED THE : PESTS ACT. At PalmcrstoU North, on Monday looming, beforo Jlr.; "A.!! D. Thompson, S.M., a number of persons-'appeared 1 for breaches- of the ,' "Orchard and Garden Pests Act" of , 11)03.Mr. : Innes represented the Department, and.'Messrs'.' Boucher and Simms, pomplogists/' were," a'so 'prescnt. :: 'Mr'.' Innes said the Department only asked for nominal fines to' bo -inflicted,':to serve as a warning to those who 'had■'been' in "t&o habit'of neglecting':their.',orchards.' The' Department l had power, had'they so desired, to:employ labqiir arid cut out trees, but, they, had no desire to go to extremes.. ; The; Magistrate, saicl tho'; Act gave" power to'inflict fines up to &20, fbut as the present cases wero for a warning, only, nominal fines would"!bo inflicted.. Ho trusted'that /people with dirty■orchards would accept tho warning; 'because, in .fairness to themselves arid their neighbours.'it- was. their duty to keep their' l orchards 'clean.;'', Fines of os., With costs 75., and solicitors' feo;'£l'ls'.,Vwere inflicted in each instance. 7 Most/of-the defendants said they had purchased, spray pumps, but admitted to Mr. Innes that they had riot used them as often as the regulations, required. .One defendant,'with a; stentorian voice, proclaimed that ho would! ,cut all the' trees down.; He : could, not; comprehend.'why he should bo fined,; as he never sold an' apple , in his .life. .'AU the. fruit, ho. produced, was converted into cider. ~'.'! ''Grubs and all?" queried tlie. magistrate. : ' ''"What effect would.the.grubs have.upon tho cider?" • ". ... ' _' ■.• '! 1 "It would have this effect, 1 ' said_ Mr. Simms, "that I would not care to drink a glass of.Cider with 75 per cent. of. - grubs:" ' T!)6 inspector informed our representative that other eases were pending,', and; thero ,wcro hundreds who. could: wisely .'accept; tho "tip-" -'!■•"■' '!. !'